


Sideline Stories: Dodger Blue, Cincinnati Red (Cranscott)

by UnicornAffair



Series: Wild Pitch [30]
Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Homophobic Language, M/M, The Samurai Rangers play a part in this but didn't feel the need to tag each character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25343503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornAffair/pseuds/UnicornAffair
Summary: “I love you” He repeated, nodding his head enthusiastically, “I didn’t realize it at first, for the longest time you were my best friend...but when I saw you and Antonio at the club…”“You saw that?”“I’ve never felt jealous before. Not even when Noah got a nintendo switch for Christmas” Billy rubbed the back of his neck, “I didn’t know at the time what it meant, I thought it was just an upset stomach and a headache from the bass...and then everything was normal, fine, we did our podcast together as if it were every other day”Jason exhaled, relieved that this wasn’t blowing up in his face. “So we’ve been dancing around each other this whole time?”Billy shook his head, confused and concerned, “I don’t remember much dancing.”A behind the scenes look at how Jason/Billy got togetherTakes Place during Chapters 17-25 of Wild Pitch
Relationships: Billy Cranston/Jason Lee Scott, Jason Lee Scott & Trini, Kimberly Hart/Trini
Series: Wild Pitch [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/852030
Comments: 30
Kudos: 24





	1. The Wrong Name (Jason)

**Author's Note:**

> So it's been LONG overdue since we did a deep dive into Billy and Jason and what the hell these boys are up to when softball drama isn't a part of the mix. Cranscott is such a big part of the sandlot gang that it only felt right that their story was series fic #30! <3 hope you all enjoy

When Trini asked Jason if he would go to the Rock Porium to see Mia Watanabe’s little brother play an opening act...he wasn’t too thrilled about the idea, but being a good friend he agreed to go. Billy too, of course. It was a group affair. Only with Kimberly and Trini fighting...it made things a bit uneasy for the rest of them. Even Zack seemed to be giving Trini the cold shoulder, and with Zack came Amanda (Kimberly’s best friend). It was up to Billy and Jason to try and play the neutral party. This family had already been broken up 6 years ago...it would suck if they were torn in two again.

The citizens and kids at Angel Grove had this idea of who  _ Jason Scott _ is. The quarterback. A one way ticket to popularity, and while he was always invited to parties he wasn’t exactly  _ fond _ of social gatherings. He wasn’t a showboater like Tommy Oliver, he didn’t have the finesse or money to entertain the masses. The football team was just that, teammates. Someone to catch the ball when he threw it. He trusted them, but he didn’t hang out with them. No, he was popular because he brought Angel Grove’s football wins. A show horse. No one wanted to be around Jason Scott because they thought he was a good person, a cool person, they wanted to be around success. 

He proved himself right when he busted up his leg in a prank gone wrong. His whole team turned on him, what good was he to anyone if he couldn’t throw a ball? Everyone always asked, why could he do something so stupid and end his potential career? Part of it was getting wrapped up in the rivalry between Angel Grove and Briarwood before their big show down, part of it was to feel something other than trapped. 

Billy, now he was Jason’s true friend. When Kimberly left the sandlot with Tommy, and Zack fizzled out completely...Billy always stayed at Jason’s side. He always made sure that Billy was safe from idiots like Bulk and Skull. They always had sleepovers, played video games...he and his mom would be at every football game to support Jason. Billy was the one who could light up a room with his shining personality. He was the one with groups of friends who  _ wanted _ to be around him. Billy joined the robotics club, was a part of an online D&D group...when it came to  _ popularity _ and friends...it was Billy who had to make time for Jason. 

The two could have easily fallen back on stereotypes. Jason becoming a  _ jock _ and Billy the  _ nerd,  _ on two paths that shouldn’t cross. Their bond was too strong for  _ that _ noise.

With Zack and Amanda wanting to go together, and Kimberly and Trini going together it left the two single boys to partner up. Nothing out of the ordinary. Jason and Billy were used to life being just them...only now that Jason fully realized that his feelings for Billy went beyond just friendship, it became a lot more complicated. 

When midnight struck upon the new year, Billy looked to Jason and asked if they should kiss. ...If only it would be that easy. How much Jason wanted to kiss his best friend. Only, there’s no way someone as amazing as Billy would  _ ever _ feel the same way. So Jason did what he was best at. Pushing down those feelings, and keeping to himself. 

Only now they were going to an event with the  _ GSA Club.  _ The senior Angel Grove students who were comfortable in their sexualities. A reminder of what his life  _ could _ be like if he wasn’t so afraid to talk about it. Breaking to Trini, opening up to her was just cracking the closet door...just enough to let some air in. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to make it through the night.

Jason and Billy were the first of the sandlot gang to arrive. Billy always had a thing of wanting to arrive at events exactly on time. This was no exception. He was taught that it was rude to be late, and it wasn’t fair to keep people waiting. Jason wasn’t exactly the night club person, if he were going out he’d rather be out in the woods or by the docs...somewhere  _ quiet.  _ Billy so far was doing okay, it was still early in the night, a setting like this could become a sensory overload once the music started and more people filtered in. 

“Oh thank you so much for coming!” It was Mia, Terry’s older sister that greeted them, a smile on her face, relieved that there were other Angel Grove kids here to support him. People at Rock Porium were Briarwood regulars. Jason could see the purple and gold on other’s apparel, Harwood County Monarchs...they had come a long way to support the headliner band. “I really appreciate it. Do you guys have classes with Terry?” Jason shook his head no, but Billy enthusiastically nodded yes.

As Mia led them over to where the GSA were sitting, Jason checked his phone to see if he had any incoming messages from Trini, Zack--or even Amanda saying that they were close or on their way. Nothing yet. Great. He loved awkward small talk with people he barely knew.

“Hey, these are some of Trini and Kimberly’s friends...Jason and Billy” Mia wanted to bridge the gap of these two social circles, “This is my girlfriend Lauren, her brother Jayden, his boyfriend Kevin...Antonio” A sigh, “Don’t mind him. Mike and Emily”

As if conditioned, Mike motioned between himself and the petite blonde sitting next to him, “We’re the allies” The GSA had their introduction down pact.

“Is that something you guys rehearse?” Jason asked with a hint of a smile, a question that was met with laughter---but no real answer. Jayden and Kevin were the one to get up off of the couch to offer the newcomers a place to sit. Not wanting to be rude, Billy and Jason complied. 

“Our group is a little….” Jayden trailed off, glancing over to his sister and the president of the GSA club, “Complicated” For lack of a better word. 

“Ours too” Billy clasped his hands together, his eyes couldn’t focus on any of the upperclassmen around him but on their surroundings. He had never been to a club like this, Billy’s social events usually took place in a friends basement or at the comic book shop. “Y’see Jason and Tommy liked Kimberly but Kimberly picked Tommy...they broke up, now Trini and Kimberly are dating. Kimberly’s best friend, Amanda, is dating Zack---Zack had a crush on Trini before she moved away...and  _ then”  _

“Ahh Billy, Billy, they don’t wanna hear all of that” Jason knew that was far too much information on the sandlot gang given how wide Emily and Mike’s eyes popped. He didn’t want to linger looking at the other boy too long. Jayden, Kevin, Antonio, Mia and Lauren were all  _ queer _ in some fashion, he didn’t want to make it obvious that he was like them...or  _ worse.  _ That he made the web a little more complicated with his crush on his best friend. 

Don’t act gay. What the hell did that even mean? Jason adjusted himself on the couch, if he sat a certain way would the other guys pick up on some hidden signal? When Antonio’s brow quirked, Jason had to shift his eyes away.  _ Shit. _

“Sorry, sorry” Billy had a habit of rambling on a bit too far, and potentially a bit too personally if no one stood in the way to stop him. “Guess crosswires happen when you know people for so long” 

“Mmm” Mia reached down to hold Lauren’s hand, seeing as how the rest of the GSA secured a spot, they were just fine. “We’re going to go do check in on Terry”

“Don’t mind her” Emily explained Mia’s sudden need to leave the group, “She’s really antsy about her brother...this is his first live performance and she’s…” 

“A perfectionist, future helicopter mom” Mike joked, causing his girlfriend to shake her head at him. “What? Oh you know I’m right”

After a couple of minutes watching the GSA interact with one another, Billy chiming in every now and again. Jason was  _ relieved _ to see Kimberly and Trini descending the stairs.  “Hey guys” He was the first to stand up to greet his friends with a small smile, “Did you want to sit down?” Seeing as there wasn’t much room on the couch, Billy also stood for his friends. It was the gentleman thing to do for their lady friends. 

Jayden Shiba took notice of the way the two girls were holding hands as they took their friends' spots on the couch. “We’re in Briarwood now” Despite his boyfriend Kevin sitting next to him, the two didn’t appear very coupley, “If you think Angel Grove can be homophobic, Briarwood is twenty times worse” 

Jason felt his stomach flip. Angel Grove’s population is divided into a couple of sections, the upper class with nice houses and lake properties who like to clutch onto their money and stay in the elite. The middle class, which is a mixed bag, and the working class. Angel Grove was a harbor town which meant a lot of  _ fishermen,  _ much like his own father. Blue collar men’s men with their traditional views on how gender roles play out. To them, life is very black and white and Jason dealt with that mentality every day of his life. What a man should be...how a man should act...how women should be.

Briarwood on the other hand was more farm country, church going, pearl clutching, bible belt mentality. There wasn’t a single out gay kid in Bulls territory.

“It’s like going back in time” Kevin nodded, sending the girls a sympathetic smile, “Just be careful and be aware of what’s going on around you. Remember we’re all here too if you don’t feel comfortable”

“Oh please ” Antonio was seated next to Kimberly now that the two boys had gotten up. “The lead singer of Dino Thunder is very openly a lesbian. Painfully unfortunate for me, but I doubt we’re going to come into much trouble with that in a place like  _ this.” _ The boy motioned around to their surroundings. If anywhere in Briarwood was gay-friendly it would be here, a safe haven for anyone who was  _ different. _ Most of the group just gave him a confused glance. “Dino Thunder. Seriously? It’s the band playing here  _ tonight. _ Oh they’re awesome! ...I’m the only one that knows about it aren’t I?” With a band name like that it wasn’t surprising that not many of them heard of it.

“I mean” Emily bit her lip, sitting on Mike’s lap to save some room for the others, “It was on the flyer” Which was the nicest way of saying she knew they were going to be playing here, just that she didn’t know who they were.

“You guys are hopeless” Antonio sighed, shaking his head at his friends and their lack of interest in the local music scene. 

To even out the numbers of sandlot to GSA kids. The group was soon joined by Zack and Amanda, his arm wrapped around her waist as the pair approached from upstairs. He offered his fist for Mike to bump as a greeting to his buddy on the baseball team. “Man I wish Angel Grove had a place like this” Zack mused, there weren’t many cool places for Angel Grove kids to hang out if they didn’t have a boat, or didn’t like to go out into the hiking trails.

“There’s a Honky Tonk bar on the west side” Billy nodded his head, he wasn’t old enough to get in without an adult, but it was somewhere his dad would go to after work before he died. “It has live music like this. Oh, but there’s no mechanical bull here so” He frowned in thought, “It’s not the same thing”

Jason cracked a smile as Billy came to that realization, “It’s probably the closest we have though” His dad was a frequent patron of the Seaside Saloon and on some nights, Sam would treat his son to some good food at the bar. Sam Scott loved to show off his son to his crew and other regulars...that was,  _ before _ the accident. Dad wasn’t so proud of his son anymore.

“Mechanical bull huh?” Zack’s eyes widened with the excitement of a challenge, “There’s not a prize involved in that is there?” He asked curiously, he owned a fake I.D he could get into a bar-bar if he really wanted to.

“Babe” Amanda patted his chest, “I like you in one piece”

Kimberly stretched her arm out to drape around Trini’s shoulders. She seemed pretty confident in Antonio’s judgement that the two weren’t going to run into any trouble with the locals. Trini was content to relax into Kimberly’s touch and listen to her friends around her. With the GSA and the Sandlot traveling in a pack, there was some safety in numbers.

Jason could feel Kimberly’s mood shift, his eyes traveled to the door to see someone coming their way. It wasn’t Lauren and Mia returning, but her ex-boyfriend Tommy Oliver. The captain of the baseball team smiled as he approached the group of teenagers, “Hey I’m sorry if I’m late” He rubbed the back of his neck, he was clearly uncomfortable, this wasn’t his scene in the slightest and he definitely wasn’t the alpha-male here at a  _ GSA  _ sponsored event. “Does anyone want drinks?” He offered, all of the well behaved teens simply showed him the black x’s on the backs of their hands. “Round of cokes then?”

“You’re buying?...For  _ all _ of us?” Mike tilted his head, raising a brow, Tommy Oliver always wanted to show off to the baseball team by throwing his money around. His eyes drifted to Trini, in an odd sort of way. Jason could pick up on  _ something _ going on here, but he wasn’t sure  _ what.  _ He knew Tommy wasn’t happy that Kimberly was moving on but he never said anything or would  _ do _ anything to wedge himself between them. They were friends again. Right?

“Well, yeah, my treat” He mentally tried to keep track of how many people he was actually buying a drink for. Without thinking too much into it he looked to his ex, “Diet?” Of course he wanted to make sure she was taken special care of.

“...That’s fine...” Kimberly smiled, of course Tommy would remember her preference.

“You can skip me.” The current head cheerleader, Amanda, didn’t even give Tommy a second glance, instead she folded her arms, she didn’t want any part of Tommy’s big gesture.

“Oh you’re doing special orders?” Mike smiled at Tommy, if the baseball captain wanted to show off how big his wallet is, he could play ball. “If they have Dr. Pepper go for that for Em’n’me. But if not cherry coke is cool too” The members of the GSA looked at him as if he was the biggest assshole in the corner, fine, he’d shoulder that. “Thanks man”

“I’ll help you carry” Jason offered, patting Tommy’s shoulder, he really set himself up for this one. 

“Hey wait up, I’ll go too” Antonio got up from the couch, there was no way the two of them were going to be able to carry those drinks by themselves and they were both single guys, it couldn’t hurt to press his luck.

As the three boys walked to the bar, Mike called after them, “Don’t forget Lauren and Mia!” He bought the ranks of the baseball team, like hell he could buy the GSA too.

Tommy exhaled, relieved as he turned away from the others. Jason couldn’t help but  _ ask,  _ “What the hell was that all about?”

“What do you mean?” Tommy was of the upper crust of Angel Grove. Buying drinks for everyone was completely a Thomas Oliver move, one that Tommy picked up to command the attention. When they’d look at their drinks they’d think oh Tommy’s such a swell guy, “I just wanted to make sure everyone’s having a good time, get this party started”

“Yeah, we get it, you’ve got a big dick” Antonio put it bluntly, patting Tommy’s shoulder, “I know what you’re trying to do, treating everyone to drinks isn’t going to win Mike over” The thing Tommy didn’t understand were that the guys who weren’t in his tax bracket didn’t like to be out shined in front of their girlfriends. It was emasculating, and a snub to a guy like Mike. “You’re  _ trying _ too hard. Take a word of advice,  _ relax,  _ dude”

“Hey, I’m just being nice” Tommy frowned, defensive, he was feeling attacked for a good gesture and that wasn’t fair. Or, over compensating around a group he wasn’t comfortable with. “What’s so wrong about that?”

“Hey is everything okay?” Jason asked with a frown, he could feel that there was tension in the group. Amanda was a bit of an outsider, so she didn’t exactly count in Jason’s book. No, what he was worried about was the way Kimberly was shifting and how Trini felt like she was going cold. “With you and the girls?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah” Tommy brushed Jason’s concern off, “They’re just pissed about the game, look,  _ someone _ had to lose...right?”

“Yeah...okay” In the spirit of trying to have a good time, Jason dropped it, but kept cautious. He wasn’t sure how much he could trust Tommy after everything. “If you say so”

Tommy, Jason, and Antonio returned to the group of Angel Grove students with a large amount of soft drinks. It kept them relaxed, while they made their small talk, Mia told them to get there so painfully early. As the later it got, the more people filed in from the upstairs music store and it wasn’t long until the place really livened up. Amanda was quick to find an excuse to pull Zack away from their little posse. Until Terry’s band performed live the DJ had been playing some upbeat music to dance to. Mike and Emily quickly followed suit as Emily didn’t like the way her boyfriend kept interacting with Tommy. Separating the two alpha males was her best bet if she wanted to enjoy her night. Mia and Lauren finally joined the others, and were surprised by the free coke handed to them by Kevin and Jayden.

“I wanted to thank you all for coming” Mia was glad that their little rag tag group doubled in size, “Terry and his friends worked really hard to get to this place and it means a lot to me that you’re all here” Lauren, in her trusty business casual blazer, kept an arm wrapped around her girlfriend’s waist, “And um...thank you for the coke”

“Anytime” Tommy smiled, he rose to Mike’s challenge just fine and remembered to get drinks for the girls.

“Mia, you want to dance?” Kevin motioned to the dance floor where the two straight couples of the group looked like they were having a ball, he knew the Shiba siblings well and they were a one two combination of awkwardness.

“Oh I’m down” Antonio responded, despite not being the one who was asked. He grinned to the group as Kevin got to his feet, “I’m feeling lucky tonight” Jason didn’t miss the way Antonio glanced  _ his _ way, a flirtatious glint in his eye. He felt a chill down his spine in a rush that a  _ boy _ would look at him that way. It was  _ exciting,  _ and scary as hell. Lauren offered to hold Mia’s drink, her shorter girlfriend kissing her cheek before taking Kevin’s hand and joining the others on the dance floor. With more space on the couch cleared up, Jason and Billy sat down between Kimberly and Jayden; effectively and importantly cutting Tommy off from trying to sit next to Kim.

“Lauren, why aren’t you going?” Trini asked curiously, glancing up to her friend as she drank her free beverage.

“Ah...social gatherings make me uncomfortable...” And dancing, especially dancing. Lauren may be a champion on the softball field but this was completely out of her element. Jason understood that feeling all too well...this, definitely wasn’t his scene. Though the big difference was Lauren was dating the  _ sister _ of the band, she  _ had _ to be here.

Kimberly got herself off of the couch taking both of the glasses away from her team captain, “Trust me when I say this. Just go dance with your girlfriend” She handed the cups off to Jason and Billy. One to take her own advice she offered a hand to Trini, “C’mon, let’s go” Lauren reluctantly followed the pair of girls to the dance floor, this was Mia’s night after all. 

Great. Jason reluctantly glanced down to his watch, all of the extroverts left.

“So….” Jayden, Jason, Billy and Tommy were all that remained on the couches. The Shiba boy was much like his sister, uncomfortable in social settings. If it weren’t for the GSA he’d probably be much more of a loner. “You guys having fun?”

No, but Jason couldn’t say that, “Yeah...yeah...it’s...good”

“Ah, clubs aren’t really my scene” Billy was always honest when asked a direct question, “But my friend invited me, and I don’t want to let down my friend”

“I thought there’d be more  _ Angel Grove  _ girls here” Tommy admitted, a little disappointed in the turn out from the tigers. 

“Well the headliner band is a lesbian so…” Jayden sat forward, the older boy was the only one left of the GSA on the couch. “You might be out of luck tonight”

Tommy sighed, “No offense Jayden, but...it seems to be everywhere lately…” At least in Tommy’s world, his ex-girlfriend dating another girl was all it took to skew his mind. Little did he know Jason was also part of that group. People who were  _ queer _ in some fashion were always around, just beneath the surface, doing what they could to survive. 

“Mm yeah we gays are  _ like that”  _ Jayden’s bite was scalding, his eyes narrowing at the younger boy.

“Kimberly and Trini are really happy” Billy didn’t seem to understand that Tommy wasn’t so thrilled at the idea, if anything Billy’s praise was rubbing salt into the wound, “Do you guys think they’ll get married?” He never could read a room.

“We gotta get through high school first” Jason wanted to do some damage control, laughing nervously to try and keep the peace between the guys. 

“Ha, yeah, Kevin and I have been dating for two years and that’s a  _ big _ step, Billy” Jayden heaved out a sigh, “Though he wants us to join the peace corps after we graduate so... _ that’s _ a big commitment” He smiled, one Jason knew all too well was fake, “It’s a good cause, we’ll be helping a lot of people” Jayden said, as if trying to convince himself. 

After high school, Jayden and Lauren were free to do whatever they wanted. Mentor Ji didn’t have to watch over them anymore and their time was up. Without any sort of family of their own the two had to seek their friends as guides to what they could possibly do next. Being alone again wasn’t an option for the Shiba siblings who had already lost so much.

“My mom and I, we do a lot of volunteering with Church” Billy thought that joining the peace corps was an admirable cause. “It’s one of the most rewarding things, that feeling of helping others is really like no other”

“We ah...donate money every year” Tommy interjected, wanting to make himself feel a little better that somehow his family was giving back. After saying it out loud he frowned, glancing down to his cup, he felt like an ass in retrospect. 

Jason stayed mostly to himself as Billy and Jayden would go back and forth between their small talk conversation. Ever since the sandlot kids were young, Jason always felt the need to be the one watching out for his friends. These weren’t just high schoolers that were around, but young adults who were old enough to drink. If house parties were anything to go off of, alcohol was the x factor that could turn a chill night into a drama rama. He watched the dance floor to see Trini and Kimberly dancing...and more importantly kept an eye out on the people around them. Mike and Emily, and Zack and Amanda made sure to create buffers on either side of the two gay couples. Kevin was doing his best to help Mia get Lauren to loosen up and...Antonio...he slipped through the crowd. 

Tommy also was watching from a distance, he seemed bummed out seeing his ex-girlfriend in a happy place. A place that didn’t involve him, she had moved on. Trini and Kimberly weren’t hiding in a closet with how they felt about one another. If he was waiting for a moment, he lost his chance big time.

All of a sudden the music stopped and was replaced by a screech. “Oh sorry, testing one two” On the other stage Terry Watanabe had been tapping the microphone with his finger. DJ Vida Roca turned down the dance music to give their live guests a chance to shine-her shift was officially over. Out of the four boys on stage he was their guitarist “We’re ah, we’re the Rebel Rockers and we’re here tonight to rock your world” Seeing him on stage was so different than passing him in the halls at school, he carried himself with more confidence. He belonged here, “Oh right. We’d like to thank the Rock Porium for letting us play here and to the awesome band Dino Thunder-seriously if you haven’t already go download all their stuff. Alright, let’s get this show on the road” He grinned and stepped back so their lead singer could take center stage.

There was a great migration from the dance floor to the live stage of music. Lauren and Mia were joined by Cameron Watanabe, who got there in the nick of time to watch his younger cousin in the flesh. Now that the music had started Jayden went to join his boyfriend Kevin. Tommy knew from experience that he had to  _ be _ where all of the action was so he headed over to his baseball teammates.

“I shouldn’t have this much sugar” Billy frowned into his cup, having a coke at this hour was going to keep him wired. “Would you get me some water? Please?” He pleaded with his eyes, seeing that the bar in the center of the room was getting swamped with people trying to order a drink. Saying an order out loud, in a crowded space wouldn’t sit well with Billy...it was something that made him anxious. “I have the money to pay you back”

“I got it, it’s fine” Jason wanted Billy to have  _ fun _ not feel out of his element. With everyone filtering to the dance floor he smiled apologetically, knowing that they both wanted out of here as soon as Terry’s set was over and done with. “Are you going to stay here?” By himself.

“I don’t know” He answered honestly, he didn’t like the idea of staying behind just to watch the couches...but the option was a mosh pit on the dance floor. That would be a lot of people touching, brushing up against him as they passed. That felt even more intimidating than ordering the drink. 

“Okay” Jason exhaled, “I’ll be  _ right back”  _ He didn’t like leaving his best friend like this, but getting water was a form of making sure he was  _ okay.  _ The job of protector of the group was never easy, or ever done. 

When Jason arrived to the bar he had the challenge of getting the bartender’s attention. Who was going to want to help the underrage  _ boy _ get a bottle of  _ water _ when they could make bank off of  _ hot girls _ and mixed drinks. He felt a hand clasp onto his back and was relieved to see that the culprit was none other than Antonio Garcia, “Yeah good luck getting in there, I’ve been waiting for like fifteen minutes”

“Oh  _ great”  _ Jason sighed, with the live music of the band on full blast he was only getting agitated. “I didn’t even want to come out tonight”

“Why?” Antonio cocked his head to the side, “Because this is a  _ gay _ thing?” Trini swore that it wasn’t...

“What? No, no I just hate clubs!” Jason’s eyes darted to the stage, unable to help but give Terry Watanabe the updown. Was he gay? Trini swore this event wasn’t a  _ gay _ thing, just that it happened to be related to the GSA. Terry wasn’t...no...maybe? The musician dressed so differently here than he did at school. Skinny jeans, a form fitting white t-shirt...his hair gelled, spiked and styled.

The other boy seemed to pick up on the way Jason was looking at his classmate, “Yeah he’s pretty cute, I’d ask him out myself but Mia would  _ kill _ me” Antonio had a glint in his eye, as if a lightbulb went off his head, a puzzle he was excited to put together, “He’s single if you’re interested”

“I uh” Jason felt caught, he swallowed hard, craning his neck in hopes that the bartender would suddenly throw him a life raft out of this conversation. Unlikely. Twins in low cut shirts approached the bar, there was  _ no _ competing with hot twins. “That’s not-I’m not”

“Mhmm” Antonio wasn’t convinced, “Your secret’s safe with me, buddy” He tapped his temple, “I’ve got a sixth sense when it comes to this thing, my gaydar is impeccable and you have been pinging my radar ever since you sat down”

Antonio was a member of the GSA...if there was anyone he could talk to about  _ guy _ stuff, maybe reaching out to him wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Trini, Kimberly, Zack, hell even Tommy and Amanda were  _ far _ too close to  _ Billy.  _ Someone on the outside who didn’t  _ know _ him felt safer. “...Was it that obvious?”

“Trust me...I have experience with closet cases” His laugh trailed off, his head turning in the direction of the dance floor where Kevin and Jayden were jumping to the music as if nothing else mattered.  “You wanna talk about it? S’like my GSA duty, or whatever”

“Ah” Jason wasn’t much of a talker, especially around people who could  _ overhear _ him. “I’m getting Billy a water”

“Does Billy need a  _ babysitter?”  _ Antonio chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. He didn’t understand the other boy like Jason did, that sometimes he could use the extra help. The upperclassman looked to the couches and frowned, seeing that they were completely empty with no Billy in sight. No one was holding the prime seating location. “Look, he’s not even there anymore” He pointed out the boy in question having gone over to the comforting group of Amanda, Zack, and Tommy. 

Determined to get the bottle of water Jason asserted himself, “Hey! Dude, we’ve been waiting here. I just wanna get two waters” He set down a ten dollar bill, annoyed, “Keep the change” A sizable tip for someone who didn’t give the time of day. 

Jason and Antonio were able to secure the couch back, with the live music playing the crowd was more interested in dancing than  _ sitting.  _ Jason could feel at ease seeing Billy smiling, laughing even, as he and Amanda went back and forth teaching each other corny dance moves. Billy’s energy was always a part of what drew Jason in...he was full of sunshine, a ray of light that made Jason feel warm...noticed. Billy knew Jason,  _ saw _ him for who he was and never expected him to  _ be _ anyone else. He was always  _ enough _ for him. Ha, everyone pinned Jason as the golden boy of Angel Grove, they certainly missed the mark. 

“You’re hot”

“Huh?” Jason blinked. There was a time he was used to the tigerettes making a move on him, as the quarterback of the football team he was a hot commodity. There was a time Jason had feelings for Amanda, but she never responded to the note he had left her in her locker back in middle school. His few dates with Rebecca Golloway didn’t go anywhere good---he ended it, and with that blacklisted him from ever dating another cheerleader. The dance team had prime pickings of the football team. 

Never had he heard a  _ guy _ take an interest in him. 

Antonio wasn’t shy, he knew what he wanted the moment the former quarterback entered the room. “You’re new at this, aren’t you?”

Yes. Jason could confirm by nodding his head. He didn’t  _ date _ often. After Rebecca he didn’t try putting himself out there, he wanted to keep himself safe from being used as a pawn. She was his first kiss but, outside of some dares at football parties he didn’t have much experience sexually. He wanted someone who he had  _ something _ in common with, not a girl who wanted the quarterback on her arm, just for the sake of a name drop and brag. “I guess”

“You need to relax, loosen up” Antonio shrugged his shoulders, “You’re in the prime of your life, not getting married, you can have  _ fun _ y’know....see what you like…” Testing the waters, he rested a hand on Jason’s knee. He leaned up his brows arching, waiting for permission to continue… “I can show you a good time”

Jason took in a sharp breath, resting his hand on Antonio’s to remove it from his knee. “Not here” He shook his head, there were far too many people...anyone could see him and come to the conclusion. Jason Scott wasn’t as straight as everyone thought he was. Still. He wasn’t pushing Antonio away...Jason found himself  _ wanting _ to be in the older boys presence. Antonio excited him in a way he never felt before, a part of him was curious...what would it be like to kiss him? It was a part of himself that he wanted to get to know...to explore. With Antonio there’d be no strings, no complications. “There’s too many people”

They were in  _ Briarwood.  _

Antonio seemed to understand that, he shuffled his position on the couch to watch the crowd, “Then let’s get out of here”

As much as Jason  _ wanted _ to get up and leave with Antonio he had a responsibility to his best friend, “I can’t leave Billy, I’m his ride” 

“Have someone else take him home” The older boy shrugged. Clearly they were here as a friend group, no one was going to  _ leave  _ him. He leaned over to whisper in his ear, “With everyone here, we’ll have Shiba Grove to ourselves”

“Yeah?”

Antonio’s smile was gentle, trusting, he ultimately wanted  _ one _ thing from Jason, but he wanted it to be good for the other boy. Especially if it was Jason’s first time doing  _ anything _ with a guy, “They have a hot tub”

Feeling a buzz in his pocket, Jason nearly jumped out of his own skin. His phone was acting like a real Jiminy Cricket, the voice in the back of his head to remind him to stay on the right path. It was Billy who texted him…

Billy Cranston  
  
Hey I’m not feeling so great. Kimberly said that she would take me home.  
Don’t let me ruin your fun.  
O no! Feel better :(  


Jason knew Billy had a threshold when it came to crowded spaces. Now that the main headliner was on, the club was only getting more chaotic. Jason swore he heard someone get  _ bitch slapped hard.  _ What happened to Trini if Kimberly was the one to take him home? Maybe he forgot to mention her...either way...he was off the hook. He held the phone to his chest, thinking about his options… “Let's get out of here”

*****

Why did Jason agree to come back to Shiba Grove with Antonio? He felt a rush of energy, a thrill in his body that he had longed for. He wanted to be impulsive, he wanted to go for something he wanted, because he sure as hell couldn’t tell Billy how he felt. It felt wrong, dangerous, but he had pushed down this side of himself for so long...this was an opportunity for him to explore something that had been bogging down his mind. What did it feel like to be kissed by a boy? To have a boy touch his body...his chest, his muscles...running a hand down his front...in his pants…Jason had thought about it, fantasized about a moment like this. 

He was overcome with excitable nerves as he took his shirt off, next came his jeans before he dipped into the Shiba’s hot tub. This house was incredible, by how humble Jayden and Lauren tended to act...it was easy to forget they lived in the upper crust of Angel Grove, and were part of the rich. Antonio was quick to undress and get into the hot tub with him, he didn’t waste any time pulling Jason’s face towards him and kissed his lips. 

The last time Jason felt this much adrenaline was when the cops were chasing him out in Briarwood for putting a bull in their locker room. Antonio’s kisses were electric, a spark that set his body aflame. He didn’t  _ love _ Antonio, hell he only met the guy this night, he preferred it that way. Antonio brought a knee over Jason’s lap to straddle him, with one hand on Jason’s neck he started to grind his hips on the younger guy's crotch.

Antonio was lost in his own mind as he continued to lead the way. Jason didn’t have much experience on this front...he placed his trust in his partner for the evening. Their kisses were breathy, short, sloppy. For once he wanted to stop  _ caring _ and let caution fly to the wind, to do something just for the sake of  _ fun.  _ Nothing else attached. 

“Mmm... _ Jayden” _

One word.

One name and everything went cold. Jason reeled his head back, his eyes taking a second to focus on the boy sitting in his lap. “...Did you just…?”

“Shit” Antonio ran a hand through his hair, he couldn’t believe he let the  _ wrong name _ slip out of his mouth. “I’m sorry” He had the reputation of getting around, surely this didn’t happen often for him.

“...Is that why you asked me to come home with you?” Jason may’ve been a C+ student but he could put two and two together. Despite dropping out of sports, Jayden still worked out and toned his body through martial arts training. Light brown-almost blonde hair...Jayden... _ Jason.  _

“Ugggh” Antonio got off of Jason entirely, the guilt being too much, he crouched over to rest his forehead against the edge of the hot tub. “No! No...I promise…that was ah...shit, I’m sorry!”

“Moment’s kinda ruined, dude” Jason leaned back, he could at least enjoy soaking in the hot tub...the jets felt good on his sides. His bad knee could experience some relief. It wasn’t often Jason was privileged with the chance to sit in a luxurious outdoor jacuzzi. 

The back door of the house opened followed by feminine giggles, they weren’t alone anymore. Jason craned his neck to see an uncharacteristically smiley Lauren Shiba wrapping her arms around her girlfriend, turning her to lean down and kiss her. This didn’t look like the shy girl he had met at the club. Mia had come over to the Shiba's place to spend a little extra time with her girlfriend in the not-so-private backyard. Terry must have gotten a ride home from his band mates. The two were so  _ comfortable _ around one another, being in their own skin, loving one another so passionately...Jason wished he could taste an  _ ounce _ of what they were feeling. 

Mia pulled away from the kiss, reaching down to the hem of her shirt, with one tug she pulled her pink top over her head to reveal a black push-up bra underneath. Jason’s eyes went wide, this was more of the GSA president than he was expecting to see that night. When Mia turned to the hot tub, their destination, she yelped upon seeing that the location was already  _ taken _ by Antonio no less. With the sudden sound, Lauren put herself between the two boys and her freshly exposed girlfriend. 

“You’ve got to be freaking kidding me” Mia muttered, resting her forehead against the muscle of Lauren’s back. 

“....We didn’t think anyone would be...back here” Lauren stated the obvious, resting her hands in her pockets, glancing up and away, “It’s, um,...a nice night to be outside…?” She didn’t know what else to say...especially seeing as Antonio had  _ company.  _

Antonio couldn’t help but chuckle, lifting his head, his embarrassing moment was now canceled out by Mia’s. “Lauren, cut the shit, I know you wanna get your freak on” He stood up in the hot tub, seeing as how his moment with Jason was ruined in more ways than one. “Lookin’ hot Mia”

_ “Shut up, Antonio”  _ Jason tried not to laugh at Mia’s expense as her head popped up behind Lauren’s shoulder to scold him. Seeing as Antonio was getting out of the hot tub, Jason wanted to follow suit. 

“Have a fun night ladies” Antonio winked as he passed the two girls, Mia was close enough to smack him on the arm.

Jason scooped up his clothes, modestly looking down and away as he passed. “Um, you didn’t see... _ this”  _ The reality of his situation quickly snapped into his mind. He  _ wasn’t _ GSA, he wasn’t  _ out,  _ he wasn’t  _ proud _ he was scared...he wasn’t  _ ready _ for other people to know that he got a rush kissing Antonio. 

The sophomore closed the door behind him. Antonio huffed out a big sigh, “You heading out?” Their short lived moment had ended, “...We could try again if…” 

Jason shook his head, “I’m...I’m good” After all of that, part of him was relieved that he didn’t end up going all the way. Like Antonio...someone else was on the back of Jason’s mind,  _ Billy.  _ The two were using one another to try not to think about who they  _ really _ wanted to be with. “Do you mind if I stay…?” He asked hopefully, “I’m not ready to go home... “ 

“Hey, it’s a safe place here” The night was coming to an end, the two felt burnt out from their night at the Rock Porium. “Look if you wanna talk it out...I know what it’s like…”

“...I’d appreciate that” As much as he  _ loved _ Trini and Kimberly...their situation would always be  _ different.  _ “Got any golden advice?”

“Yeah….one  _ big _ piece of advice? Don’t fall for your _ best friend” _ Antonio was clearly hung up on Jayden Shiba, “It’s the fucking worst”

Ha….too late on that front.

*****

When Jason returned home from school the next day he was met with a worried mother. Beverly Scott heard the door open and she rushed from the kitchen to see her son in the flesh, “Don’t worry me like that” She had gotten a text that he was fine, and that he would be sleeping over a friends house that night. “It was a school night” She rested her hands on his shoulders, worried eyes looking him over. “You should have come straight  _ home”  _

“I’m sorry mom, just kinda got caught up in the night” He smiled apologetically, he didn’t think his mom would care  _ that _ much let alone  _ worry.  _ “I felt safer just staying at Shiba Grove than driving home late” 

“I...didn’t realize when you said you were staying with a  _ friend _ you meant you were staying with the Shibas” The Shiba kids were seniors, upperclassmen. It helped Beverly sleep at night thinking that Jason was with the Cranstons or the Gomez family. The Shiba’s were rich kids who were watched by a ‘family friend’ who was there until they graduated, how good of a  _ parent _ was he?

“I’m sorry,  _ what _ was that?” Sam had been sitting in his recliner, trying to do his best to unwind after a long day out to sea. Television, and waiting for Beverly to get dinner together was the highlight of his evening. “You can’t be going around there”

Jason frowned, he knew  _ exactly _ what his father was implying. Sam didn’t  _ know _ he was digging into his own son, but he sure as hell knew that Jason’s childhood friends Kimberly and Trini were dating. “Why the hell not?”

“Because I don’t like those kids, they’re a bad influence” Jason’s dad dealt with the like of Antonio’s father on a day to day basis. “I didn’t raise a sissy for a son. I don’t want anyone to catch wind of  _ Jason Scott _ traipsing around with those freaks” 

_ “Sam”  _ Beverly was no stranger to the men in the Scott household, ever since Jason had ruined his sophomore football season the two had been constantly butting heads. He was so disappointed in Jason...so  _ ashamed _ to be associated with the kid so dumb to steal a  _ bull _ and run away from the cops. A degenerate, with no good friends. “Stop”

“Oh jeez dad” Jason shook his head in disbelief, “You’ve got to be kidding” Shrugging off his backpack he stepped past his mom to challenge him, “So  _ what _ if I went to Shiba Grove. Oh I know what people call it, the fag house, you’re worried what….that I’ll kiss a guy and like it?”

Tired, aggravated, and now his son was talking back at him. Sam held the bridge of his nose, mentally trying to count to ten. A tip to calm his temper, but his son kept egging him on. 

“What if I  _ did,  _ huh? What if Jason Scott isn’t as straight as you think he his! What  _ then?” _

It was then Sam snapped. The idea of Jason even  _ joking  _ about being into guys was enough for him to see  _ red.  _ The fisherman grabbed his son by the fabric of his shirt and with one swift motion he shook his son back. Enough to spook the boy. “No  _ son  _ of mine is  _ gay.”  _ He pointed a finger at Jason’s face, right between his eyes. The intensity in his eyes was unlike anything Jason had ever seen in his old man. He was pissed when Jason blew out his knee, livid when his truck was dented and beat up and he was forced to look into alternative options for a vehicle. That all pales in comparison. “You hear me? I want you to stay far away from that house”

Jason glanced up the stairs to see that his little sister, Pearl, was standing at the top. A stuffed tiger under her arm, the shouting had brought her out from her hiding place in her room...her eyes wide seeing her father man handle her brother. She was too young to comprehend any of this. In her eyes her daddy was the bestest guy she had ever known, her brother a hero...the golden boy of Angel Grove. She shouldn’t see this. 

Making a choice, Jason pushed himself away from his dad. Beverly had stepped in to rest a hand on her husband’s shoulder, whispering a chastising “Sam” at him. Not another move was made by Mr. Scott. 

“I’m taking a walk,” Jason announced, keeping his eyes narrowed at his father, picking up his book bag and leaving the house. He had to turn and step away...for Pearl’s sake….for his mother’s sake….and in part...for his father’s sake too. 

Jason wandered the suburban streets of Angel Grove for hours, he had no  _ place to be.  _ What if he liked kissing Antonio? Did that mean he was going to lose his family? Jason’s stomach did a flip just thinking about the possibilities...was this even who he was? Was this something he needed to get out of his system? Where did Billy fit into all of this? Questions kept racking his brain as he continued to walk, cross streets. What was supposed to do? Could he even go home that night?

He had been out for so long, so dazed by his own demons that he didn’t even find the time to step out and eat lunch. Ha, with what money? Jason had only a dollar to his name in his wallet. He knew he could go to the Cranston’s house for anything...but this wasn’t something he could spring on Billy. He didn’t have the heart to pull his best friend into this cyclone of feelings. Emotions that were just so second nature to push down and down.

Jason didn’t know when it happened, or how he even got himself here, but he found himself at the Gomez’s doorstep. If anyone could understand...it would be Trini. The girl who  _ lived _ through all of this and came out the other side stronger. He knew he could trust her with  _ anything.  _ He raised his hand to knock on the door. Jason felt like a kicked dog, looking for a roof to sleep under for the night. “Hi Mrs. Gomez...is Trini around? I uh...I need to talk to her right now” He was hungry, his body felt weak, he was weary, desperately hoping that Mrs. Gomez would let him in.

“Come in….come in” June welcomed the teenage boy into her home, “Are you okay?” She asked, her motherly instincts told her right away that  _ something _ was off. “Can I get you something?”

No...no he wasn’t okay.

“I just need Trini” 


	2. Pack a Bag (Jason)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mrs. Gomez gets herself involved when she hears about Jason and Sam's confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look we're still in chapter 17, time's going to be a bit wonky. I originally wanted this chapter to go a bit differently, BUT as I was going through I rearranged a couple of things and well, it'll hopefully be a better reading experience in the long run. <3 thanks for reading!

Jason had been sitting on Gomez's living room couch, Mrs. Gomez had already let him in and asked him to get comfortable while she called up to get her daughter. He had a hand on his bad knee, rubbing it as part of a nervous habit. The boy’s entire bottom lip in his mouth, something was on his mind. He barely looked up to his friend as she descended down the stairs, “Hey…” Jason waited for her to sit down next to him, “Is it okay if I stay here tonight?” He asked weakly, he didn’t know where he would go if he couldn’t. 

Zack’s? He couldn’t impose. Maybe Shiba Grove? Would that be weird? He barely _knew_ them...

“Yeah, yeah I’m sure it’s fine” Trini didn’t seem concerned about asking for permission. Instead, she started to rub his back, clearly he was shaken up, “What the hell happened?” Comforting him had to come first. 

In all of the time Trini had spent with Jason she had never seen him like this... _vulnerable,_ exposed. She could always turn to him to be the strong one.

Jason’s head hung low, he couldn’t look at his friend, not about this, “I got into a fight with my dad” He let out a deep sigh, “I told them I stayed at the Shiba house last night, it was the truth... _that_ was a mistake...you know the reputation of that place” Trini frowned in confusion, right, she had been gone for years. Sometimes Jason forgot that she wasn’t with them this whole time, “It’s the fag house” He explained, right, of course it was. 

Angel Grove had a knack for tagging things with slurs. “I should’ve lied but he pressed me on it and I pushed back….we had our rough patches before with the injury but nothing like _this._ I can’t be in that house, and I don’t want to fight...Pearl was pretty shaken up the last time...I’ve been walking to blow off some steam...” Jason looked over to Trini, his eyes betraying the rest of his body, “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think I had anywhere else to go” He paused, knowing he had other options if it really came down to it, “I _can’t_ go to Billy, not like this.”

“Hey...hey you know you can always come to me for anything” Trini wrapped her arms around his shoulders, she knew what it was like to butt heads with a parent over this. Her relationship with her mother was far from perfect, “You’re okay...I’m going to talk to my mom, alright? Do you want to take a shower? Get cleaned up? Are you hungry?”

“I don’t think I can eat right now” His pent up emotions and food did not make the best combination. As hungry as he was, he was afraid to risk it. “Do you _mind_ if I take a shower?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t okay dummy” Trini let him go so they could get to their feet, “A hot shower might do you some good. We have extra towels in the cabinet and uh...I’m sure my dad has some clothes you can wear” Jason nodded, too numb to really say much else, “It’s the first door you’ll come across on your right”

“...Thank you…” He managed that much, offering whatever he could in a smile, squeezing Trini’s shoulder lightly. Without another thought Jason slowly climbed up the stairs to the bathroom. The noise summoned Gabe and Michael to poke their heads out of their room to see what was going on, only to be shot the fiercest scariest glare they had ever received from their sister oh boy that was not worth it. They quickly ducked back into their room.

Jason was never fond of using other people’s showers. They all worked differently in how to turn on, how hot _hot_ meant. More times than not he felt like an idiot. Today wasn’t that day. The hot water felt _refreshing_ against Jason’s skin. In his solitude, flashes of the argument flashed through his mind as if it had just happened. He could still feel his father’s grasp on his shirt, the fury in his eyes. 

Jason Scott disappoints again! 

“I’ve got some clothes for you, I’m leaving them out here. I’ll be in my room if you want to talk” She neatly set them down in front of the door in a pile and returned to her room to give him whatever privacy he needed.

He remembered the night Trini had come out to him. One crazy night involving a Tommy Oliver lake house party. Jason wouldn’t know how he would get through this without her. Trini carried a strength, a courage he wished he had. She had faced so much, she and Kimberly both. He was so lucky to have someone to fall back on, someone who understood and wouldn’t judge him.

When he got out of the shower and dried himself off, he carefully scooped up the clothes she had left him and slipped back into the privacy of the bathroom to change. 

Jason felt like a real sex symbol his bright red t-shirt with a cartoon mouse on the front, accompanied with a pair of sweatpants that was a bit too wide on him. That’s what the handy dandy draw string was for. He knocked on the door, only to hear a faint “It’s open!” from Trini. Once inside her room he lightly chuckled, the first time he had come close to a smile in hours, “Your dad has great taste…” 

“It was all I could find” Trini rubbed her neck sheepishly, “Disney World 2015, we lived in Florida at the time...calling it a vacation is kind of a stretch”

For privacy, Jason quietly closed the door behind him, “I didn’t know you lived in Florida” He tentatively sat down on the foot of her bed as she had the desk chair covered.

“Yeah well...A lot can happen in six years” Wasn’t that the truth. The Sandlot gang had gone from best of friends to breaking off entirely. The mayor’s son, the head cheerleader, the golden boy football quarterback, the drop out and Billy...the pure of heart who never really changed, “Did you want to talk about it?”

“About your life in Florida?” He asked hopefully, Trini shook her head no, “I’d rather not talk about my dad” He looked down to his hands, his shoulders slumping. Sam and Jason’s relationship was _complicated,_ to say the least.

“We don’t have to” Trini moved from the desk so she could sit comfortably next to him on her bed, “But what happened last night? How’d you get to staying at the Shiba house in the first place?” 

“Ha….” Jason rubbed the back of his neck, “I got to talking with Antonio” 

“You hooked up” Trini concluded, tilting her head, “Jason Scott...how _scandalous._ What about Billy?” 

What about Billy? As guilty as Jason felt about being with another guy, he knew that could be his reality. Even if he was brave and told his best friend how he felt...why would Billy ever return his feelings? The two boys didn’t talk about sex often, when they did Billy always shared his interest in older women like their English teacher Ms. Johnson.

“I didn’t” Jason shook his head, his face starting to flush red at the implication, “No. I-we didn’t _hook up.”_ Trini wasn’t convinced, “Alright. _Fine._ We made out a little it was harmless...it didn’t mean anything” He rubbed his forehead, feeling embarrassed about the confusion, “Even if I wanted to get over him I can’t…” Jason really had it bad for Billy, “We spent the rest of the night talking...that’s it” Jason learned the complicated relationship between Jayden and Antonio that night. How Antonio had it all, and then brought a hammer to it, screwing it up forever.

“Okay and hey, you know I’m not going to judge if you want to hook up with him-”

“I don’t.” He had to avoid looking directly at her, “I’m not ready for that yet...with a guy…” If he learned anything from that hot tub was that he _wasn’t_ ready to take it to that level. Not yet.

Trini started to rub circles into his back, trying to comfort him the only way she really knew how, humor and snark, “Well if you ever, ever, have any questions...my mom will be sure to talk to Mia and get you some informational pamphlets on how to make love safely”

Jason had to laugh at poor Trini’s misfortune, “She didn’t... _oh my god”_

“Oh laugh it up chuckles she definitely did” Trini could smile, even if he was laughing at her misfortune he was genuinely smiling.

As if she had freaking ears all over the house, there was a knock at Trini’s door followed up by Mrs. Gomez’s voice. “Open up”

Trini’s eyes went wide, “I swear to god I was kidding about her having a pamphlet” Jason’s laughter died down to a chuckle as Trini rushed to open her bedroom door. Her mother was standing there with a cup of hot chocolate in hand. “What?”

“You know the rules about having your door open when you have company” Her mother raised a challenging brow. Shoot, did Jason step on toes by closing the door? He bit his lip, feeling bad, Trini was being so helpful that he didn’t want her to get into trouble.

“...I thought that only applied to Kim…” She frowned, there was no way in hell she and Jason would be doing anything inappropriate. “We were just talking.”

“I know...and I was hoping I could steal Jason from you” Her mother smiled sweetly, “Besides you have a big game tomorrow and you should go to bed” Mrs. Gomez looked over her daughter’s head to the boy in her room, “It’ll only be a couple of minutes I promise”

“Oh okay” Jason couldn’t say no, the Gomez family was kind enough to take him in for the evening. “Goodnight Trini” Once he made it to the doorway Trini’s mother gave him the cup of hot chocolate, “Thank you Mrs. Gomez”

“Whoa, hey” Trini frowned at that exchange, “Where’s mine?”

“I’m your mother, not your servant. There’s nothing stopping you from going into the kitchen and making your own” Mrs. Gomez shook her head, “Jason is a guest in this house” And therefore gets special treatment. “Please don’t stay up too late”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever” Too much sugar before bed wouldn’t have been a good idea anyway. She sighed dramatically anyway trying to make a point of her betrayed feelings. “I’ll see you guys in the morning I guess” She and Jason exchanged a smile, “Goodnight”

Mrs. Gomez had already prepared the guest room for Jason while he was taking a shower. She didn’t have to do _anything,_ he would’ve been just fine sleeping on the couch or a floor, but he supposed it was a _mom_ thing to do. He sat down at the foot of the bed, cradling the hot chocolate in his hand. Trini’s mom pulled a chair from the desk so she could sit across from Jason, being at his level. 

“I don’t mind you staying here, but I want you to answer this question honestly” Though her voice was soft, her eyes were intensely concentrated, looking for an answer that his words may betray. “Do you feel safe at home?”

“Ah well…” Jason didn’t need this to blow out of proportion, he didn’t want to put the possibility of Mrs. Gomez calling child protective services and freak out his mom, his sister. “My dad and I have been fighting…” That much was true, “Everything’s so tense that...I don’t know, I thought it’d be better if we took some space from each other. Cool off.”

“I see” As a mother she was able to translate Jason’s skirting around, “You’re more than welcome to stay here as long as you need” Mrs. Gomez smiled reassuringly, he had a safe place to sleep, he could sigh in relief, “But this is my house, my rules. You’re a guest here, but you’ll have to keep up with your homework, join us for dinners, help out around the house. This isn’t a vacation or a way to blow off your responsibilities”

“Of course” Jason understood, he had no plans of disrespecting their kindness, he was thankful that Mrs. Gomez even went above and beyond for him. She most certainly didn’t have to do this, any of this. “Thank you so much” As if a simple thank you could cover the gratitude he was feeling.

“Tomorrow morning we’ll stop at your house on the way to school so you can pack a bag, get everything you need” Trini’s mom let out a light laugh, “No one should be saddled with my husband’s taste” She then stood up and returned the chair to its place, “I’ll leave you be, get a good night’s rest” Mrs. Gomez got the answer she needed from him. She stopped in the doorway to glance back at her guest, “You’re _safe_ here, Jason”

*****

Jason dreaded going back home the next morning, even if it were to pack up his things for an extended stay. He didn’t want his mother to be overly doting on him, checking him to see if he was okay---feeling guilty that she couldn’t stop the confrontation from happening. He didn’t want his sister to look at him with big doe eyes full of tears...why was there always so much yelling? Why couldn’t her brother and dad get along? 

Mrs. Gomez dropped Gabe and Michael off at school before changing course and rolling up to the Scott’s driveway. Since Pearl also went to grade school, Beverly was out of the house. It would make this easier for Jason to not have to see the women in his life. His stomach felt like a sinking anchor when he saw that his father hadn’t left for work yet. He wasn’t ready. 

As if _feeling_ the tension building up in the teenage boy next to him, Mrs. Gomez got out of the car first. “You won’t be alone” She reassured him, “Just go to your room and pack your things, don’t try and _rush_ for the sake of getting out of here faster. If you need time…”

Jason sighed, he didn’t have much he cared about. A laptop, changes of clothes, chargers, bathroom stuff. He didn’t feel right bringing something like his xbox and collection of video games to the Gomez house. This wasn’t a vacation, a time to kick back with his personal luxuries. Mrs. Gomez was kind enough to open her home for him, he intended to be a respectful house guest. “Okay” He breathed out, he didn’t have much to say, just a confirmation that he was as ready as he was ever _going_ to be. 

The door inside the garage was unlocked, it always was during the hustle and bustle of the morning, Sam would lock up when he was leaving. Jason entered the house first, catching the attention of his father who was in the kitchen finishing up his breakfast. “Hey! Ey!” His fork hit his plate with a clang as he rushed to stand up and go after his son, “Your mother’s been worried sick- _hey!_ Don’t walk away from me” 

Mrs. Gomez stood between Jason ascending the stairs and his father stomping after him. “He’s getting a couple of things and staying with us”

“Like hell he is!” Sam raised his voice. As a former football player and fisherman, he was physically much larger than Mrs. Gomez. The man towered over her, but she didn’t budge, she wasn’t going to let him intimidate her or get around her to his son.

As soon as Jason got to his room he grabbed a dufflebag and went to his chest of drawers to shove whatever clothes he could find. Just _hearing_ his father’s booming voice was enough to put Jason into a frenzy to get the hell out of there. 

“You need to cool off” Mrs. Gomez warned, “Space is going to be the best for _both_ of you. I’ll make sure he gets to school and does all of his homework” He’ll have warm meals, a place to sleep, he would be taken care of just fine with Trini’s family. 

“This is freaking crazy” Jason heard his father’s voice, he could imagine the way his father’s face scrunched when he was frustrated. Jason was _no_ stranger to the different degrees of irritation to anger. “What’s going on between me and my kid is between _me_ and my kid.”

“Trust me Sam, I’m doing _you_ a favor” Jason’s packing slowed as he paid attention to what Mrs. Gomez had to say, “Right now these days are _extremely_ important. You blow up, you do the wrong thing and you could _lose him_ forever.”

“...No offense June...but-”

Knowing that nothing _good_ came after a _but,_ Mrs. Gomez snapped, “Don’t you _dare_ finish that thought if it has _anything_ to do with _my_ daughter”

“Hey I’m just saying! Look at the facts. First _Kimberly Hart_ now this...these kids weren’t _like_ this before she came around to...this _isn’t_ Jason…...it can’t be”

“Maybe you don’t _know_ your son as much as you _think_ you do” Mrs. Gomez’s tone sharpened like a knife, “Oh you want to look at the facts? Let’s look at the facts! Your _child_ doesn’t feel safe here. I can imagine why when you’re stomping around like a bull seeing red. So he is staying with us for as long as it takes for you to get your head out of your ass” Her voice softened, trying to reach the other parent, “Trust me... _trust me,_ you don’t want to go down this path. Don’t dig yourself a hole that you can’t climb out of.”

Jason grabbed his laptop and a charger and messily shook it into a messenger bag. This all would have to do. He didn’t want to keep Mrs. Gomez waiting any longer. With his bags over his shoulders he descended the stairs. “It’s not good for mom or Pearl if I stay” He sighed, “I’m... _bi,_ dad, and...I get it...you’re going to need to process that…I’m sorry I can’t be your _perfect_ _son”_

He said it, the words out loud. _I’m bi._ Jason crushed on Billy just as hard as he crushed on Kimberly back during the Sandlot days. He stood his ground, staring into his father’s eyes without an ounce of shame. This is who he is. If his dad couldn’t get around to accepting that...that was his problem. 

“Hmmm” Sam got the message loud and clear, “...I need time…” Mrs. Gomez sent the man a sympathetic smile, she had a hard time coming to terms with her daughter’s sexuality. She fought it tooth and nail and almost cost her everything. Mr. Scott heavily sighed, “I’m going to be late…”

“Dad…” Jason wanted to feel an ounce of hope, that everything would be okay...that staying with the Gomez family wouldn’t be temporary. He didn’t want to be another Antonio Garcia, a kid whose father kicked him out hand over fist for being bi. For liking guys. 

“I _need time”_ Sam repeated, picking his keys off of the kitchen table. “You sacked me from the blindside” Leave it to him to fall back to a football metaphor, “Knocked the wind outta me” He seemed to be taking Mrs. Gomez’s advice. With a heavy heart he nodded his head to the door, “You can stay with them...promise you won’t give _her_ a headache”

“Okay…” Jason had a history of lashing out, acting up and making poor choices that he lived to regret later. Getting the _okay_ from his dad was a sign, their relationship was fractured but not broken to pieces. “...Yeah…”

Mrs. Gomez eased the tension with resting a gentle hand on Jason’s shoulder, “Let’s get going, I’ll drop you off at school”

“Ah, I don’t want to be a bother” Jason sighed, “I’ll take my bike if you could take my stuff back…” He wanted the freedom of riding his bike to school, it was good for his knee. Most importantly...he had to clear his head...he had to pretend like this was just another ordinary day in Angel Grove. For the other’s sake.

*****

When Jason arrived at school he found Billy at his locker, looking a bit perplexed as he did his daily arrangement of his books. It was one of his quirks, everything in his space had a specific place and purpose. Feeling that someone was watching him he turned to see that his best friend had arrived---later than usual. Nevertheless his face lit up, his bright smile captivating. Billy was the only one who ever looked _excited_ to see Jason. He had a way of making the quarterback feel special, _seen._

“You’re late” Billy chastised, raising a finger.

 _“Technically”_ Jason laughed, he already felt lighter, safer being around his best friend. He adjusted the strap of his backpack, “It’s before the bell so I’m still on time” Being around Billy instantly put a smile to his face, the light during his dark days.

The other boy shook his head, he didn’t mean late for _school._ The later it took for Jason to arrive the less time they had to hang out before their classes. With Billy being so gifted, he was in the advanced placement classes---even taking some classes to get college credit while Jason slummed it up in the base level classes. They didn’t get to spend much time at school together, so Billy always cherished the moments in between. Before school at their lockers, when Jason would walk Billy to his next class, lunch under the stairs was his favorite time of day. 

“It was a nice day out...I wanted to ride my bike to school” It kind of was the truth. 

Billy’s brow quirked, Jason hadn’t ridden a bike to school in years, “Did you wear a helmet?” 

“What?” Jason couldn’t believe that after this long Billy would still even _ask_ him that. “No...they’re _dorky”_

“They can save your life.”

“I’m not going to get hit.”

Billy tilted his head, “That’s what people who get hit always say”

When they were young and _had_ to ride their bikes everywhere Billy would always harp on Jason for wearing his helmet. Of course as a ten year old, Jason was invincible, nothing would be able to touch him. Besides, he wanted to wear his LA Dodgers cap proudly, in case anyone wanted to know what his favorite baseball team was. A helmet would only smoosh his hat, cramp his style. He lived this long without one.

“I’ll be careful” 

Billy glanced down to Jason’s knee. A dumb prank gone arwy. One car accident could have taken his best friend away from him forever. With a heavy sigh he dropped it, knowing how it would be. “Kimberly asked me to do some interviews for her website today...so I’ll be missing lunch”

“Oh” Jason didn’t want to sound disappointed. Billy was talented, charismatic, energetic, he would make for the best host for Kimberly’s project with the softball team. Jason couldn’t even hold a camera without a shaky hand, “That should be good”

Jason and Billy were well aware of what was happening around them. They weren’t privy to _why_ just the collateral damage. Zack was avoiding lunch with them all together, Amanda and the cheerleading table made a great out for him to avoid having to sit with Trini. Kimberly followed suit by becoming more engrossed and obsessed with building a website, she had taken the loss from the boys vs girls game to heart. The softball team didn’t win the other field for a season, but if Kimberly’s plan _worked_ they could renovate their shitty field for the generations of girls after them. It was a hefty goal. 

Billy’s heart was heavy, “I don’t like this” It didn’t need to be said. Zack and Amanda, Billy and Kimberly. That left Jason to be the one to be with Trini...to make sure that she wouldn’t be _alone._ How fitting. “Do you think Kimberly and Trini will work it out?” He asked hopefully, “...It reminds me of…”

“Yeah…I know…” Jason knew what Billy was referring to. Jason’s big fight with Tommy that ended up breaking their friendship family apart. Sam and Jason were very alike, proud of their crafts even though they didn’t come from much. So when Tommy made the Dragons and Jason didn’t, and Tommy rubbed it in Jason’s face that he wasn’t _good_ enough, he didn’t have the money, he wouldn’t ever be on Tommy’s level...he snapped, and the Sandlot was forever fractured. 

Billy never wanted to _play_ baseball ever sense. It was one of the last things he had of his father, and he couldn’t let his friends taint those memories of his love for the game. With Tommy’s bullying and badgering, Jason got tougher, bigger, he traded a baseball for a football. 

“But Trini and Kim aren’t Tommy n’me” Jason reassured Billy, “Whatever _happened,_ whatever _this_ is...it’ll ride out. It just needs time to heal”

He hoped at least. For Kimberly to forgive Trini and for his father to turn around and be _okay_ with him being bi. Time was the best medicine for these open wounds. “Just be there for Kimberly”

Jason understood Kimberly well, he was the same way when he started weight training for football. As long as he had a _goal_ to focus on, his feelings could take a back seat. Kimberly knew how to put her walls up. For years she was stone cold to the people of Angel Grove, the ice princess at the top of her game. Only to crumble in on herself. 

“Be there for Trini”

***** 

Jason and Billy first started sitting under the stairs for their lunch freshman year. While Jason was already apat of the football team, their table was too obnoxious to be around. He didn’t like the way they talked to the girls in their grade, or their sense of humor. Just because Jason enjoyed the game, didn’t mean he fit in with the herd. Billy could get a breather from his geek-squad, comic book loving, video game savant friends. This was their safe place to catch up, unwind, decompress for twenty minutes before having to part ways once more. 

For over a year it was just Billy and Jason sitting alone on a bench together. It was Trini who brought the gang back together, the missing link, the heart that tugged everyone’s strings back. Jason had gotten used to the presence of Zack, Trini and Kimberly...sometimes even Amanda would join them in their secret hiding place. Laughter, life, smiles, twenty minutes of friends getting to _be_ together. 

Now it was just Jason and Trini, the quiet ones of the group. This wasn’t nearly the same. 

“So ah, you’re playing Harwood County” Whenever Jason didn’t know what to talk about he would always fall back on sports. Since most of Billy’s nerdy friends didn’t like _‘sportsball’_ and were condescending about it. This special time was always Billy’s opportunity to talk about something else he had a passion for.

“Uh huh” Trini was lost in her own head, she barely acknowledged that Jason was even talking to her. “That’s...where I used to live, go figure”

Oh. _Right._ That was dumb to bring up, especially considering that two nights ago the headline band apparently was Trini’s ex-girlfriend’s. That didn’t help things with Kimberly at all. 

“Sorry” Jason didn’t have much else to say, “I uh…”

“It’s okay, I know you’re trying to help me feel better” Trini rested her head back against the wall behind them. “You ever wish that the world would just... _stop_ turning for a while?”

“Yeah I’ve been there” Jason could say that he wished everything would just _stop,_ and that things would be just _fine._ “The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do was show my face around here after everything that had happened” He shook his head, “I just hated the way people _stared_ at me...in town too, I couldn’t get a milkshake from Ernie’s without a dirty look. Ha, like I just kicked a dog” He glanced up to the ceiling, “I wished I could get into a car and go so far away where no one would know my face”

“What made it easier?”

“Billy” Jason glanced down to his hands, “Billy’s stayed by my side through everything…” Billy was one that would help Jason get ready for football tryouts to begin with, Billy always encouraged him that he was _worth_ something. He even helped him write the letter to Amanda asking her out...that was a bust. Billy was there when Jason was at his lowest, and here he was avoiding talking to him about the one thing on his mind. “I don’t know where I’d be without him”

Billy was much more than a friend, he was his support system, the person he went to when everything was falling apart, hopeless. No matter how much he wanted to be close to Billy, know what it would be like to kiss his lips or hold him on the couch when they were watching movies; he couldn’t. He couldn’t risk a friendship built on their childhood. Antonio was right...falling for a best friend was the _worst._

Jason wished there was a magic button he could press or a pill he could take to take all of his feelings away, but there wasn’t. The world kept turning.

*****

The first night at the Gomez house felt off, mostly because Trini had an away game an hour away and Mr. Gomez had taken the twins for their first karate lessons at the Shiba House. How funny, Jason’s dad was afraid of the place while Trini’s was more than happy to let _Jayden_ teach his _sons_ martial arts. Despite it being a quiet night for two, Mrs. Gomez still _made_ dinner as opposed to ordering out. Authentic beef enchiladas, Jason was in heaven here with Trini’s mom cooking. 

“Did you have a good day at school?” She asked the typical mom question. It felt so weird not coming from Beverly. 

“It was okay” He shrugged, “Nothing big” No tests, no life altering moments, just another day. “I got my homework done in study hall” For a struggling average, nothing special student, he took advantage of his free period as best as he could to get as much done _at school_ so he wouldn’t have much to bring home. 

Of course now he didn’t have an xbox to unwind with...just a laptop as his source of entertainment. “Did you need any help around here?” He offered, that was the least he could do for the way she stuck her neck out with him. 

Mrs. Gomez couldn’t help but smile, “Maybe this weekend” The mental list was going off, high to reach light bulbs, the lawn mowing, the _gutter cleaning._ The things her husband didn’t have time to do. “How would you feel about going on a little field trip to the city?” Trini’s mother stood up to walk over to her purse, pulling out a printable from a website and sliding it on the table for Jason to see. “They’re having a meeting tonight”

One word stood out, big and bold. **_PFLAG._ **

This place was in San Diego, the nearest _big city,_ a place where no one would know he’s _Jason Scott._ “You’d...do this for me?”

Mrs. Gomez let out a heavy sigh, “I dropped the ball when it came to Trini...this is my second chance to do something _right”_ She shook her head, ashamed of _something_ that had happened in her past, “I’m not going to let _you_ slip through the cracks”

When Sam turned his back, June stood up in his corner, it felt good to have an adult on his side...looking out for him. “What’re we waiting for Mrs. G? Let’s go”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapters POV will be Billy, I promise!


	3. A New Calling (Billy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy has to put his troubles and concerns to the side when he see's that Kimberly needs his help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time's a little wonky with this fic, but we're going to see a bit of Billy's POV from the early bits of chapter 17 :D

Billy was over the moon when he was asked to go to Terry’s gig, he even went to extend the invitation to Tommy. With Trini, Zack, Kimberly and Tommy all participating in spring sports, it left opportunities to hang out as a group far and few between. Most afternoons it was just him and Jason, just like old times. 

The Rock Porium out in Briarwood was a cool eclectic place to be, Angel Grove certainly didn’t have a music venue like this. Billy, like anyone else in town, had heard the rumors about the GSA club. That joining their little group was considered social suicide. He couldn’t quite understand why...Mia Watanabe was practically the president of every club she joined, Lauren Shiba the softball captain, Mike Fernandez the charming baseball player, Emily Ava the sweetheart of the marching band, Kevin Barron the swimmer from the big city...and of course Jayde Shiba and Antonio Garcia. Rumors still lingered, even two years later. Even Billy had heard that Mia allegedly had a threesome with the Shiba siblings. That Shiba Grove had the reputation for Mentor Ji not caring what happened within the walls...that the place was a hot bed for gay activity. 

While Billy wasn’t a fan of crowds like this, he tried to make the best of the situation. Keeping up conversation when he could. He and Terry Watanabe had plenty of classes together, but the musician always kept to himself, it was exciting to see him shine in a new light. Terry belonged on a stage, not behind a desk. As long as Billy was close to his friends, he felt okay enough to dance and to do his best to tune out the older patrons of the club that night. He was having so much fun that he didn’t even pick up on the tension brewing between Amanda Clark and Tommy Oliver, Zack doing his best to get between them.

Everything changed, however, when Terry’s band finished their set and the main event  _ Dino Thunder _ took to the stage. The crowd got routier, heavier, it felt like a challenge to even breathe so he stepped into the bathroom, taking solace in one of the stalls to get his head together. He could hear the pounding of the bass through the walls, this band sure knew how to make some noise. If he found Jason...he would feel better, Jason always knew what to say or what to do, Billy never felt  _ alone _ with Jason around...he always felt  _ safe _ around his best friend. That’s what he had to do, find him.

When Billy stepped out of the stall he saw  _ Trini _ having a bit of a panicked moment herself, he frowned in confusion as he went to wash his hands. “What’re you doing in the mens room?”

“What? No this is the  _ ladies _ room” Oh no! “Did you not notice there’s no urinals in here?”

Billy was so focused on his task that he didn’t really take the time to notice, but now that he had more free time to take a look at his surroundings he got the big picture. “Oh. I am in the ladies room, I am so sorry”

“It’s okay” She didn’t want him to feel that bad about the misunderstanding, it was only a bathroom. Trini knew that  _ Billy _ wasn’t in here to be a creep. 

Billy frowned in confusion, why was Trini’s face moist? She couldn’t have been dancing  _ that _ hard with Kimberly earlier. “Are you okay?” He wasn’t the best at this sort of thing but he always wanted to be there for his friends, the least he could do was offer up an ear, “Do you need to throw up? I can hold your hair back” He offered with a smile, he really didn’t like to hear the sound of anyone throwing up but a true friend is the kind who makes sure a girl's hair is out of the way of the splash zone.

“No...no I’m not going to throw up” Trini leaned back up against one of the sinks, “My ex-girlfriend is out there…” She trailed off, sighing when she had to admit, “And I’m hiding. God, Billy what do I do? She knows I’m here”

“Oh uh, well, I’ve never had a girlfriend” He paused on that thought as he folded his arms, tapping his elbow with his hand. “Or a  _ boyfriend _ ...or a  _ relationship. _ Haha you could say my longest relationship is with Jason and that’s still going strong...that’s not the same thing.” He rambled quickly off the cuff,  _ that’s not the same thing.  _ No, Billy only had crushes on people who were older and out of his league. Ms. Johnson, Noah Carver...  __

“I know. I don’t have any ex-friends either. Maybe Tommy, but he’s my friend again...that’s not what you’re asking...” He hesitated on what to say next, oh he wanted to help his friend so much but had absolutely no experience or background in this kind of thing. People stuck around in Billy’s life, no exes to speak of. “Kimberly is your girlfriend  _ now. _ That’s what’s important, and if I were your girlfriend….boyfriend. If I were your  _ boyfriend _ I would want you to stand by my side.” He felt bad, he wasn’t great with relationship advice. Now science or math. That he could help with. Did Trini need something blown up? Billy was her man for the job. “Did that help at all?”

“I think so…” She couldn’t stay in the bathroom for too long, Kimberly was under the impression that she just had to pee- not that she was going to fall into one of the toilets. “Thanks Billy” She paused, “And thank you for helping out Kimberly with her website-thing”

Billy smiled bashfully, waving a hand as if it wasn’t a big deal at all, “Nah it’s cool, it’s what friends do” He had been having a lot of fun helping Cameron Watanabe, and Mia set it up. Soon he would be able to upload his own videos and really make the site look nice. Kimberly’s project was  _ fun _ to work on, and it was helping out his best friends---a win win. “We should probably head back out there, right?” Billy handed her a paper towel so she could dab her face dry, okay this was it.

The two of them exited the bathroom area, some younger adults had taken up the couches in the lounge as Billy was no longer holding them for his friends. Kimberly moved to sit at the bar, “Oh boy, are you going to be okay?” The two needed to split up soon, but she wasn’t going to do that if he wasn’t feeling comfortable. 

“Yeah yeah” He wasn’t going to let Trini doddle over him, he didn’t like feeling like he needed to be babysat, “I’ll just find Jason or Tommy” Billy nodded enthusiastically, he didn’t want to interrupt any of the couples so he was fine to bask in the presence of the single men of the group. “Go keep your girl company”

“Thanks” She hoped that he could find Jason or Tommy sooner than later, “Last I saw Tommy was with Amanda and Zack” And Jason...Jason was chatting up with Antonio but he was sure to return to Billy soon. “Jason’s probably with them”

“Thanks” With their little pep talk in the bathroom, Billy felt like Trini would be okay to speak with her girlfriend. The band was taking a little intermission from their set, the lead singer had left the stage entirely while the rest of the band members were drinking out of water bottles and waiting. 

The remnant pounding in Billy’s head could find a small sense of relief, this was his opportunity to go find his friends. He started heading in the direction he had come from, hoping that Jason mustered up the courage to go dancing with his friends. When it came to music, Jason was always the type to stand and bob his head as if the rest of his body was disconnected. Billy was the one in this duo who had the sense of rhythm. 

Billy was taken aback when he saw Amanda reel her open hand back, slapping Tommy in the face so fast, so hard, that not even Zack could stop it from happening. What the heckity was happening there? Why wasn’t Jason with them? Where was he? Billy’s head was going a mile a minute, he had to find his best friend. He didn’t feel comfortable going over to this altercation, he  _ couldn’t _ interrupt Trini and Kimberly...now that Terry’s band had played, Billy was having a hard time even seeing members of the GSA. Had they left? 

If Jason wasn’t on the dance floor then he must have found another place to sit, that sounded right. It would have been easier for Billy to find a seated Jason, than a Jason with a cup of water to find Billy. Of course.  _ Of course.  _

Billy walked into the direction of the couches on the other side of the room, his agitation level running high. Every time someone accidentally brushed Billy’s arm he felt skirmish, closed in, uncomfortable. He liked his personal bubble, his space, the only one who would ever get close was Jason.  _ Jason.  _ The boy that would offer him a high five, the one that respected his space, the one who would stand at a crowded bar to get him as something simple as a glass of water.

Where was he?

_ Where was he? _

After what felt like a frantic search Billy’s internal questions were answered. He saw Jason sitting on the couch with Antonio Garcia. Billy felt his stomach flip as the senior whispered something in Jason’s ear, a hand on his knee. No, no, that couldn’t be right. Was that  _ flirting?  _ Of course it was. Antonio was  _ known _ to be a flirt in Angel Grove...a jock like Jason? A  _ football _ player with a toned and conditioned body and the loyalty of a golden retriever, of course he was interested. 

But---but Jason, he never showed any interest in  _ guys.  _ Billy  _ never _ talked about his crush on Noah Carver with his best friend, they only talked about girls. Jason was comfortable with  _ girls.  _ He even dated Rebecca Golloway, a  _ cheerleader.  _ Billy didn’t want to make his best friend he ever had squirrely. Sure, Jason was okay with Trini and Kimberly but---but this was different. 

Why a guy like Antonio?

Was it his bold, flirtatious behavior? Billy wasn’t like him, he wasn’t brave. 

Jason should know that it was okay to be himself around Billy---why would he hold that back?

Stop.

No, no.

That wasn’t his place.

If Jason wanted to  _ tell _ Billy he liked guys, then he would. Billy couldn’t  _ ask,  _ he couldn’t prod. 

He had just used the restroom and now he felt like he was going to throw up. This wasn’t normal for him, the bile in his stomach reacting to seeing his best friend---what  _ was _ this gut feeling? Billy didn’t like it, he didn’t like it at all. 

As if Jesus himself sent a guardian Angel, Kimberly was the one to pull Billy out of the black hole of thoughts threatening to pull him into a dark place. “You okay?” She asked, her keys in hand. The softball pitcher seemed out of it herself,  _ mad,  _ irritated. Her talk with Trini must not have gone well.

“I want to go home” 

“Me too” Kimberly agreed, sighing, tired of her world crumbling around her. “C’mon, I’ll give you a ride” 

“Thank you” Billy didn’t want Jason to have to worry about him...not he found someone  _ else _ to be with. After he had sent out a quick text message, he followed Kimberly out to her car. He felt relief wash over him the moment they exited the rock porium. One deep inhale and the cool crisp air soothed his ever running motormind. A few seconds he could stay calm. “Thank you” He repeated as he got into the passenger seat, Kimberly didn’t  _ have _ to give him a ride home. 

“Of course, hey, anytime” Like the others in the Sandlot gang, they would do whatever they needed to for Billy. True friends through thick and thin. “Are you okay?” She asked, “You didn’t look so good”

“I’ll be fine” Billy assured her with a nod, he didn’t want his friend to have to worry about him. Besides, he had plenty of friends, friends that Jason didn’t associate with...who was he to be...upset? Billy couldn’t place his finger on what this unsettling feeling in his stomach was, only that he didn’t like it. “I think it was starting to be too much”

“Yeah” Kimberly seemed distant, which was odd. During lunch under the stairs, it was Kimberly who breathed life into the conversation, her presence was always  _ known.  _ The light of the party was starting to dim, to run on empty. “I know what you mean”

“Is everything okay?” Billy asked, tilting his head. Tonight was  _ weird.  _ He knew he didn’t pick up on a lot of social cues, but Amanda had literally slapped Tommy in the face. Antonio was whispering sweet nothings in Jason’s ear. Trini had a panic attack in a bathroom. “Are you and Trini fighting?” He knew her ex-girlfriend was Dino Thunder’s headlining singer. 

“I wouldn’t call it a  _ fight”  _ She shook her head, unable to clarify it for him beyond that fact, “I’m so tired of being  _ blindsided”  _ Kimberly had gotten onto the road and headed back to Angel Grove, “I think I’m doing good,  _ finally _ I feel like I’m doing something right and I get cut down at the knees,  _ again.”  _

Billy glanced out the window, for him, it was much easier to talk to Kimberly about  _ her _ problems. This wasn’t the determined Kimberly Hart off of the cheerleading squad, training hard to make it onto Rita Repulsa’s elite softball team. He hated to see Kimberly this way,  _ sad,  _ down in the dumps depressed. It was crushing watching the girls lose to the boys at the very end of the last inning. While Zack and Tommy were both his friends too, he wanted to see Trini and Kimberly--the girls win. 

“I don’t know if I can trust Trini” Kimberly admitted softly, nervously glancing over to Billy. It was Trini who had brought the sandlot gang back together. She was the one who got Zack back into school, who helped clear Amanda’s name, Trini even pulled Tommy back and for a short while...everything felt as if it should. “Seeing her  _ ex…”  _ Her hand tightened it’s grip on the steering wheel, “She wasn’t expecting Trini to have an  _ out  _ girlfriend...she was blindsided too...a running trend”

“I don’t think Trini  _ means _ to hurt anyone...she’s our friend...your  _ girlfriend”  _ Billy tried to make sense of it all. Boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, dynamics, they were always muddled. It wasn’t like science, math--- _ facts.  _ 2+2 would always come out to be 4.

“How much is she going to do behind my back?” Kimberly’s brows furrowed, concerned, “Tommy would do that too” She disclosed to the boy next to her, “Leave me in the dark…” At a stop sign, Kimberly was able to close her eyes for a moment, exhaling, “I just...feel so betrayed…” She shrugged her shoulders, “There’s nothing I can do about it but to move forward, I  _ want _ to forgive her. This whole night was about  _ trying _ again but...I  _ can’t _ bring myself to do it yet”

“Is there anything I can do?”  _ Anything.  _ Kimberly could say the word and he’d be ready to jump in and try to get things back to the way they were. The Sandlot couldn’t fall apart again, not when everyone was  _ back.  _

Kimberly was silent, pensive, “There’s nothing engaging about our website...right now it’s all  _ text _ and  _ photos _ but there’s nothing to it. There’s nothing  _ special”  _ That...didn’t seem to have much of anything to do with Trini or her relationship, but Billy asked what his friend needed. “How would you feel about going to the games and hosting, I dunno, a podcast?”

“Like a play by play?” Billy perked up at the idea of that. He always remembered the days when he was a kid and his father didn’t get the cable channels to watch his Cincinnati Reds in action. He’d always listen to the games over the internet radio. A voice could bring the game of baseball to life, the tension building, it felt like they were there in the seats! In a lot of ways, having to rely solely on listening made every home run, every out greater. He missed his dad so much...golly, if he could hear  _ Billy  _ on a his very own radio show, “I don’t know if I’d be any good at it”

Billy gave up the game the day Tommy and Kimberly left the sandlot, he swore never to play again. He didn’t want the sadness to ruin the good memories he had left...but...this could be a way to stay connected in the game without ever picking up a glove. 

“You won’t know until you try, you may end up loving it” 

“Well…. _ okay”  _ Billy paused, “As long as it doesn’t interfere with robotics club, I’m in”

“Yeah? Awesome, this is going to be so great” That was the first time Kimberly had actually  _ smiled _ during the entire car ride home. It was worth it. Billy made it a personal mission to keep Kimberly afloat. A podcast could be fun.

*****

Kimberly had asked Billy to join her during their lunch period to do some testing interviews. Tanya Sloan, first baseman extraordinaire and host of her own radio show was here to help direct and focus Kimberly’s  _ vision _ for the website. She wanted there to be  _ life,  _ something more than just  _ text.  _ Hayley Foster and Shelby Watkins the two youngest members of the softball team were here as well to give Billy someone to work off of.

Emma had taught Kimberly the basics of her camera, how to set up, how to use good lighting and the best settings to take a video. With Kimberly behind the camera and Tanya keeping a watchful eye it was  _ Billy’s _ show to host. He sat on a stool between the two freshmen girls, a piece of paper in his hand to act as a cheat sheet. 

“So...what got you involved in softball to begin with?”

Hayley and Shelby exchange a glance, unsure who should speak first. For being one of the most popular girls of the freshman class, Hayley was a bit reserved about talking. Seeing the hesitation on the right fielders face, Shelby was quick to answer with a big bubbly smile, “Well I’ve come a  _ long _ long way from picking at grass in the outfield” She joked, “My parents always wanted me to get involved in whatever I could get my hands on...lemme tell you I was  _ not _ coordinated for gymnastics”

Shelby rubbed the back of her neck, “I was put into rec soccer leagues to see if I’d make any friends” She popped her lips, glancing down, “...I did  _ not _ …it’s not fun being put on a team of older girls who’re all friends with each other...finding something that fit me was a lot of trial and error”

Hayley smiled sympathetically in the direction of her teammate. 

With a paper covering her face, Tanya leaned over to Kimberly, “We can...edit this right?” She asked, as if the other three people in the room couldn’t hear her with a thin sheet of paper acting as a noise blocking shield.

_ “Oh yeah”  _

Shelby continued, “Watkins Ice Cream is a sponsor of the Dragons, which whatever that’s fine, my dad’s all about putting the shop out there any way he can. But...the Dragons never had a travel team for girls, they still don’t. So I guess that sort of gave me the motivation to get into softball. Girls want to play too, we should be given that opportunity” 

Billy could see the downtrodden expression on Kimberly’s face. If only the softball team beat the baseball team, the message they could’ve sent to Angel Grove. Now they had to fight even harder for the town's respect.

He perked up, looking to the other freshman girl, “What about you Hayley? What got you involved in the game?”

“Well…” Hayley trailed off, thinking of the best way to respond to his lobbed ball of a question, “I actually grew up playing tennis at the country club” A sport she actively still played in the fall, “But I wanted a way to stay active throughout the year”

She nodded.

He nodded. 

Shelby looked on expectantly, as if there was more to her story, but there wasn’t. 

Billy then looked down to his cheat sheet to try to fill the void of silence, it was then Tanya spoke up, “Billy, this doesn’t have to be formal. We’re a softball team in some rinky dink harbor town looking for some donations from people who don’t give a shit...we’re not ESPN. You can have  _ fun _ with this.” A pause, “And  _ Hayley,  _ loosen up a bit, you’re coming off stiff”

“You’re  _ posting this”  _ She shot back, her eyebrows raised. “I don’t want to look stupid”

_ “You _ could  _ never _ look stupid” Shelby leaned forward to encourage her friend with a smile, “Hello, I’m here” As if that was supposed to make her feel better. 

Billy set down the list and started to go off of the cuff, “You two are outfielders, what’s the best part about your position?”

“Oh diving catches,  _ easily”  _ Shelby jumped at the opportunity to answer the question, “In the outfield we have  _ so _ much space to cover that it’s fun to be able to run around and make---hey let’s face it the  _ best _ catches are made in the outfield”

“Tori may disagree with that,” Hayley laughed, bringing the tall blonde junior into it. As a shortstop, Tori’s had to make some incredible jumps to prevent line drive balls from getting into Shelby’s territory. “There’s a sense of  _ urgency _ that the outfield has, we’re the last line of defense...I’d say on the field  _ we’re _ the most important position.”

As the  _ first baseman,  _ Tanya pulled a face, completely disagreeing with what the babies of the team were saying. In Tanya Sloan’s mind  _ she _ held the weight of the most important position on the infield. If a first baseman had bad hands, easy outs would turn into  _ trouble _ quickly. 

“That’s a pretty bold statement there” Billy tried to keep a straight face, but the senior’s jaw tightened in so much disdain that it was hard not to laugh. 

“All I’m saying is that sometimes, we don’t have to hit our cut off, we throw right to Trini at home” Hayley shrugged, confident and not taking her quip back. 

“Hayley’s got an arm like a cannon!” Shelby chimed in, “One of the things we’ve been working on with Lauren” She paused, directly looking into the camera to explain, “Lauren Shiba’s our center fielder” Shelby felt more comfortable once she was looking at Billy and Hayley, this was just a conversation, “Where if we can’t make the throw we do a quick hand off to the nearest outfielder and  _ they _ send the ball in. We’re getting so good that we don’t even need our gloves anymore”

“Lauren’s also team captain, what’s she like?” Billy asked, tilting his head to the side, naturally picking a conversation piece to pick on. He didn’t know what would be relevant to Kimberly as she would be the one to cut and edit all of these interviews together.

“I’ve never seen someone  _ so _ dedicated to softball” Hayley finally beat Shelby to the punch of answering one of Billy’s questions, “She has a quiet presence about her, that’s just  _ Lauren.  _ She’s always there before everyone else, she’ll be the one to take us aside and give us tips on how we can be better.”

“Before games she leaves us these little notes in our lockers with inspirational quotes” Shelby nodded, “She’s quirky, if you catch her on a good day you really see her sense of humor shine”

“How does it feel being the new girls on the team?”

“I was worried at first” Shelby didn’t have great experiences with trying to make friends outside of marching band, “The seniors have all played together since they were in our shoes...but that wasn’t an issue”

“They were very welcoming of us newbies,” Hayley continued before Shelby had a chance to taper off into another sad statement, “Coach set it up that every new player would have an older mentor. Kinda like a big sister-little sister sort of thing. Tori Hanson’s mine oh she’s a trip” She started laughing, having someone like  _ Tori _ as a mentor makes for good stories to say the least. “Lauren had taken us all camping early on as a way to get to know each other...we’re not all just  _ teammates.  _ We’re  _ friends.”  _

Tanya and Kimberly exchanged a glance, Kimberly was then the one to speak up, Hayley had given them an amazing soundbite to use. “Okay, I think that’s all the time we have” The pitcher looked at the clock, their lunch period was almost over. 

“You guys did good,” Tanya stepped forward, she was not going to be working any sort of camera...especially  _ Emma’s _ prized possession. “Billy you’ve got a real talent for this, you never talked over them, you eased their questions and really  _ listened.  _ You should stop by my station some time”

“Really?” Billy was surprised by Tanya’s interest in him. He never really considered  _ this _ line of work, but he had fun interviewing Hayley and Shelby. It was inspiring to watch them talk about something they were passionate about. Shelby was so animated. “I can do that-oh-as long as it doesn’t interfere with robotics club”

“We can work around it” Tanya laughed, smiling. “I’ll teach you everything I know, rent out some equipment...you’re going to need it if you’re going to be doing a live recording” She folded her arms, “You might want to consider a co-host. If this is your first gig, it’s good to have someone to work off of. Someone you have chemistry with” 

“Jason could do it, right?” Kimberly overheard that last bit, agreeing with Tanya that it would be best not to start off alone. “If  _ anyone _ has chemistry it’s Jason and Billy” Kimberly laughed, knowing that the two boys brought out the best in each other---that if anyone could reel Billy back it was Jason, and if anyone could bring Jason out of his shell it was Billy. The two worked well together, “Can you ask him?”

“Sure...I can see what he has to say” Billy hoped that he would say yes. It would be the perfect way to stay involved with the rest of their friends. Friends who felt so distant with spring sports season. 

“Perfect” Kimberly clasped her hands together, “Tanya, what do you think about more partner interviews?” Hayley and Shelby made sense together, “You and Aisha, Gia and Emma, Lauren and Tori?”

“Anything but putting Lauren and Gia in the same spot” Tanya laughed, shaking her head, “Put Aisha and Tori, me n’Lauren” If anyone was going to need help being  _ on camera,  _ it was the team captain. “10 players, group interviews. Girl, that leaves you and  _ Trini”  _

Billy grinned practically ear to ear, two of his best friends, “Oh that’ll be fun! How perfect” Especially with their positions out on the field, the pitcher and the catcher together only made sense. 

Kimberly didn’t think through the pairing process as evident on her face, she looked taken aback and  _ surprised _ at herself. “I’ll just go solo” She shook her head, “I’m not ready...not for that”

“Then let’s do yours last” Billy slowly nodded, smiling, still hopeful. If time had passed, maybe everything between Kimberly and Trini would be okay. 

*****

Jason Scott  
  
Hey you took off after school really fast. I didn’t get a chance to talk to you.  
Sry things are pretty crazy rite now with my dad  
Is everything okay?  
Sure  
Do you wanna talk about it?  
Not really  
Okay...well I’ve been talking with Kimberly! She wants me to host a podcast to document the softball games. Tanya says I should get a co-host and I think we make for the best team  
U really think so? I’m not so sure  
You can’t think about it or get in your head. It’d just be you and me...talking. Just like at lunch  
Im the guy who ruined football 4 AG. I dont want my name being attached ruin this for you  
Or the girls  
I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else  
I’ve never been ashamed to call you my friend  


Billy’s brows laced with concern as he read, and reread his messages from Jason. What was going on with him? 

Jason Scott  
  
K ill do it...but idk if ill be any good  
Just give it a chance, and if you hate it you’ll never have to do it again  
Promise?  
Ranger Rule #3  


  
Billy still clung onto the ranger honor code the sandlot gang had made up when they were ten.

_ A ranger never breaks a promise. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll see Jason and June's trip to San Deigo

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter will also be from Jason's POV and will get some new new content :D
> 
> As far as hints go. June plays a VERY important role in the next chapter. The first two chapters are very Jason's journey focused before we get into Billy's side of all of this


End file.
